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Filed July 16, 1948 W. LANGFORD FRUIT CATCHER 2 Shets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WALTEK: LANGFORD ATTORNEY W. LANGFORD May 30, 1950 FRUIT CATCHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1948 INVENTOR.

WA L TER LANG/ 020 BY QbXQmALE V ATTORNEY Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRUIT CATCHER Walter Langford, Graton, Calif.

Application July 16, 1948, Serial No. 39,127

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a foldable fruit collector and has for its object to provide an improvement on a device shown in my Patent No. 2,350,908.

Another object of this invention to provide a foldable fruit collector which can be easily assembled around a tree, folded up for the purpose of moving and setting up around another tree.

Another object of my invention to provide a foldable fruit collector which is Simply in construction, light and compact when folded, and can be easily handled by one man.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the claims hereto nnexed.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is understood, that the invention is not limited to such form; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device with some of the covering removed.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 of 1 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a collar.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 4- 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the frame in folded position.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on the line 5-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the connection between a rib and a ring.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the connection between a brace and a ring.

Fig. 9 is a cross-section on the line 9-9 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 10 is a front view of a connecting bar at tached to both halves of the ring.

In detail my device consists of a circular frame i supporting a cover 2 which covers said frame. The cover 2 is arranged in a plurality of radial hoppers 3, each having an outlet 4 at the lowermost point thereof. A fruit falling on said cover 2 will land in one of the hoppers 3 and will roll downwardly to the outlet 4 and therethrough into a box 6, provided thereunder.

A frame 1 consists of a collar III which is 2 placed around a trunk II of a fruit tree 9. Th collar is is split into two halves l2 and i3 which are connected by a hinge l4 and have the other ends free. Each half carries a plurality of ribs l6 each of which comprises a pair of bars I! and i8 swingably secured to angle l9, the latter being riveted to the collar 10. The free ends of said bars H and 18 come to a point and are intersected at an angle by an outer bar 2! extending from said bars I! and I8 outwardly and upwardly. The outer end of said outer bar 2| is swingably attached to an angle 22 by means of a suitable bolt, or a rivet. The angle 22 is riveted to a ring 23. The latter consists of a plurality of ring sections 24 in form of arcuated bars each section being attached to a corresponding rib IS. The ends of the adjoining ring section, one of which is off-set, are provided with longitudinal grooves 25 for the purpose of alignment and securely locking the same by means of a bolt 21.

In addition to the ribs IS, a stilfener 28 is provided between the two adjoining ribs, one end of which stiffener is swingably attached to an angle 29 secured to the collar I!) near the bottom thereof and the other end is preferably secured by the bolt 27 to the ring 23 at the place of connection of the two adjoining sections '24.

The ring sections 24 preferably do not form a complete circumference and their continuity is interrupted at two diametrically opposite places, one of which is opposite the collar hinge l4 and the other is opposite the open ends of the halves l2 and i3. Connecting bars 3| bridge the gaps between the open sections 24 one end of each bar being swingably retained in a bushing 32 and the other being adapted to be removably secured in a bushing 33. A hinged stiffener 34 is riveted to substantially the middle of the rib Hi, the free end of said stiffener being attached to the ring section 24 near the connecting bar 3|.

The frame i is supported in spaced relation to the ground by a plurality of legs 35 each of which is attached to a pair of the bars I! and I8.

The frame I is covered by a canvas or net cover 2 extending from the outer ring 23 to the collar ill. The cover 2 preferably consists of two halves and includes an outer reinforcing strip 4| near the ring 33, an inner reinforcing strip 42 near the collar Ill and a, pair of radial reinforclng strips 3 dividing said cover into two halves. Each reinforcing strip has a plurality of grommets M- inserted therein for the purpose of providing reinforced openings in said strip through which openings ropes 4B are passed for the purpose of securing said cover to the frame. To connect two halves of the cover together a rope 47 is used which is needled through the grommets 44 and over the edge of the reinforcing strip 43 of one half, and a plurality of hooks 48, attached to the under side of the radial reinforcing strip 43 of the other half, engage the rope 4? at each place where the same passes over the strips edge. The strips 43 are strung taut between the ring 23 nd the collar H1 and represent practically straightlines.

A rope 50 is provided with a toggle 51 for tightening the same over each of the stiifeners 28 which rope raises a ridge in the cover substantially level with the collar. The ridges and the radial reinforcing strips 43 divide the cover 2 into a plurality of the hoppers 3, each of'which has an outlet 4 in form of a short sleeve52. :The free end of the sleeve 52 is attached to a ring'53 carried by each rib IS. The cover 2 is well spaced from the metal frame and any fruit falling from the tree on said cover will zrneet a-resilientisur- "face.

The frame mayibefolded, asshowninFig. 5.

Forthatpurpose thelcover 2 is taken off of the "frame, the ends of the connecting bars :5! are taken outof the bushings 33, the bolts '2'! are unscrewed, the hinged stiffeners 34 are discon- 'nected from :the ring 26, and the ring sections are swung in parallel "relation to the ribs it. Thereuponthe'halves i2 and IE-10f the collar it! :as swung open andthe ribs i6 and the stiifeners 628 are brought in substantially parallel relation,

:or'in azposition wherein the tips of said ribs and istiffeners touch each 'oth'er.

'Theifram'e i'is preferably made of light metal, Such'asaluminumalloys, and't'he'ribs l6 and the stiffeners 2% are preferably made out of strips L shaped in cross-section. The cover 2 is pref- -erably-rnade out of 'netting'as the same is lighter :eonsisting of :a plurality of radially disposed hoppers each having *an-outlet at its lowermost porhaving a'pivot ibra fastened to thereof; a plurality of radial ribs arranged betweensaid collar and the ring, each rib consisting 4 tion; a foldable frame supporting said cover consisting of a collar of suificient size to be placed around a trunk of a fruit tree, said collar consisting of a plurality of hinged sections; an outer ing concentric with the collar and consisting of tion; a fol-dabie frame supporting said cover,

said frame including a collar consisting of two hinged sections; an outer ring concentric with the collar and consisting of a plurality of sections detachably attached to each other each section of a pair of members hingedly secured to the collar, said members extending from the collar radially, and an outer bar one end of which is 'a'fiixed to the cuter en'dslof said rib members; a :pivot connecting'thelfreeend.of each outer bar to a corresponding pivot bracket, said pivot perquitting the ring section to be swung in relation 'to'the rib to which said ring section is attached;

and aleg attached to reach of said ribs for supporting said frame in spaced relation to the ground.

WALTER LANGFORD.

@ITED ihe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

.UNI'IEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date .-'76;320 Gage Apr. 7, 1868 775,248 Reid Nov. 15, 1904 2,350,908 Langford June 6, 1944 2,436,173 Knapp Feb. 17. 1948 

